Beloved Grand Prairie ISD teacher hopes he's made his own teacher proud
The Brief
This week, Dickinson Elementary School's Mister C earned a master's degree in education from UNT Dallas.
The Teacher of the Year has been making a difference in the lives of children for the past 13 years.
He says it's all because of a teacher who made a difference in his life when he was growing up in Oak Cliff.
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A Grand Prairie ISD teacher is not just an educator. He's a difference maker. And it all started because of the difference a teacher made in his life.
The backstory
Steve Cipriano said a teacher at Wittnnetka Elementary School in Dallas changed his life.
"I grew up in the 90s, and at that time, I lived in Oak Cliff. And I just kind of lived that lifestyle, I guess you might say," he said.
A teacher named Mister Sifuentes, who went by Mister Si, inspired him to do better.
"He would see us trying to copy some of these gang writings and all that in our notebooks. And he always told us you don't need that. That's not for you," he said.
Cipriano worked odd jobs after high school before becoming a substitute teacher in Grand Prairie ISD's disciplinary alternative program.
"And in that moment, I was like, 'Hey, I know these kids. These kids were me.' And I really like that once those kids caught on to me, they were like, 'Hey, you coming back tomorrow?' I was like, 'I might. If they give me a job back, I'm coming back tomorrow,'" he said.
Tomorrow turned into 13 years and counting.
And in 2019, Cipriano decided to go to college.
"2023 is when I finished my undergrad, and then I just kept going. And I went for my master's the following two years," he said.
Earlier this week, Cipriana earned that master's degree from UNT Dallas.
What they're saying
Assistant Principal Angelique Gaona said the students at Dickenson Elementary love Mister C, as they call him.
"They want to go with Mister C. Every time, Mister C. They like scream for him. They were super excited when he won Teacher of the Year. He was paraded around the school and everybody was super excited. That was one of the things I wanted to showcase about him because he's just so loved here," she said.
What's next
Cipriano said he's not done yet with his education. He's planning to go for his doctorate degree.
"But in the meantime, I'll still be making my Mister C curriculum on YouTube. I'm always going to be involved with kids no matter what," he said.
It's his way of continuing the legacy of his own Mister Si.
"I don't even know where he's at, but I hope I'm making him proud somewhere," he said.
The Source
FOX 4's Shaun Rabb gathered details for this story by talking to teacher Steve Cipriano and Assistant Principal Angelique Gaona at Dickinson Elementary School in Grand Prairie.
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